HOT OFF THE PRESS! We love to share our information with writers, and we’re happy to pass some of our INSIDER’S SECRETS along to you. This FREE e-mail newsletter may help improve your writing and your acceptance rate! Feel free to print these articles to use as a reference. This issue is packed with great information. DEADLINE-DATED lists of anthologies, theme issues, and contests are included!

In this issue:

* * SEVEN WAYS TO BUILD YOUR REPUTATION AS A CREATIVE WRITER

* * FINDING PARALLEL PERFECTION

* * FIVE WAYS TO MAKE MONEY AS A POET

* * HOW TO WRITE A QUERY LETTER FOR A SHORT STORY COLLECTION

* * WHEN A LITERARY AGENT REQUESTS AN EXCLUSIVE: SOLUTIONS FOR STICKY SITUATIONS

* * LOTS OF HELP for CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHORS—100 CONTACTS and Everything You Need To Know To Submit Your Children’s Book. Click this link to get our insider's tips and tricks: http://www.WritersReliefBlog.com/post/For-Childrens-Book-Authors.aspx.

* * HOW TO FIND AND APPLY TO A WRITERS' RESIDENCY

* * You won’t find a better list anywhere (AND IT’S FREE!) of upcoming ANTHOLOGIES, SPECIAL-THEMED JOURNALS, CONTESTS, CONFERENCES, and CLIENT NEWS. Visit: http://WritersReliefBlog.com/post/Anthologies-Contests.aspx. 

↓ Scroll Down to Read These Exciting and Useful Articles!! ↓

It’s easy to label yourself a writer. Jot down a poem and call yourself a scribe. But building a reputation for yourself as a writer is the evidence others need to label you a writer. Whether good or bad, writers’ reputations follow them wherever they go, either paving the way for success or putting up roadblocks in the path to getting published or developing a readership. It’s essential that creative writers take into consideration the way their peers, agents, editors, and readers view not only the quality of their writing, but their credentials and career path as well. It’s far easier to create a solid, professional reputation than to undo the damage of a spotty record and poor public persona.

Creative writers can brand themselves in any number of ways, and successful writers use more than one self-marketing method.

1. Take advantage of social-networking sites. Competition in the writing world is fierce, and when a creative writer wants to generate interest in their novel, it takes more than word of mouth. Attending writers’ conferences and joining writers’ groups have always been good ways to connect with others in the industry, and now writers can also take advantage of online social-networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter to create a buzz about their work by shaping connections nationwide—even worldwide—quickly and efficiently.

Facebook, for example, offers the opportunity to create both a personal profile and a “fan page”—a space where artists and writers can highlight their work. Writers can connect with readers by sharing news, writing samples, photos, and links. MySpace also allows users to create extensive profiles, while Twitter is a simplified version of the two. Social networking online helps writers engage others in their work and melds well with more traditional marketing efforts like book reviews, book signings, and tours.

2. Join an association. If you are published, investigate joining a professional writing association, such as the Mystery Writers of America or the Horror Writers Association. It’s another opportunity to network, and belonging to an association of like-minded writers offers other benefits to your craft such as industry news, useful links, and discussion groups.

3. Create a Web presence. It’s important that someone doing an online search of your name is able to find a profile page that showcases you and your work. Many authors have Web sites in addition to user pages on social-networking sites to maximize their exposure. A profile page should feature your name, photo, and a brief biography. You can post your writing credentials, excerpts from your novel, poems and/or short stories, and favorable reviews. If you are a published author, your profile should link to a site where your books can be purchased. Be sure to use links to your profile at every opportunity—in e-mail and forum signatures, on Facebook, MySpace, or other social-networking sites, and on business cards and stationery.

4. Blog. It seems that everyone has a blog these days, but it is especially useful for writers to take advantage of this marketing strategy. Your entries are firsthand examples of your writing—so make them good and edit well—and this can generate interest in your other work. Update frequently and be creative in your blog; include helpful links, insights, even humor to keep readers interested. If you are published, make sure it’s easy for a reader to purchase your work with a handy link to Amazon.com, for example, and include links to any site that features your writing or reviews of your writing.

Another useful feature of blogging is that it is interactive and personal—readers can leave comments or suggestions, and you can respond to them directly. You can keep them informed of any book signings or works in progress and answer any questions. It's best to update your blog as often as possible to keep it fresh and interesting. Be sure to use keywords in each post (title and text) to optimize search engine results. The Internet is an amazing tool for writers looking for exposure, so be sure to use it to its full potential.

5. Explore different genres. Working outside your usual genre can expand your writing palette and even improve your writing. If you’re working on a full-length novel, for example, you might also consider pitching some article ideas (about something you're proficient in) to magazines. Not only will you be boosting your publication credits and exhibiting flexibility in your talents, but the things you learn in one genre can nourish your skills in another.

6. Exude personal professionalism. Whether you’re submitting query letters or have already secured an agent, it’s crucial that you handle yourself professionally and put forth your best efforts. Wrinkled, stained, misspelled query letters give a bad impression to a potential agent. For those who have agents, return their phone calls promptly, follow their instructions or requests conscientiously, and deliver materials on time. Develop a professional reputation with agents and editors, and remember that you’ll be judged for every piece of writing—this means not firing off a quick e-mail riddled with errors and Internet lingo.

7. Finally, stay current. Keep up with publishing trends and market preferences by reading industry magazines, newsletters, and articles. Take courses and seminars whenever possible to brush up on your writing skills, and practice the actual craft of writing at every opportunity.

What is "parallelism" in writing? Parallelism: The use of identical or equivalent syntactic constructions in corresponding clauses or phrases. (The American Heritage Dictionary)

Faulty parallelism is the result of mixing up tactics when composing a sentence. This happens most often when a writer wants to make a sentence more interesting, especially when the sentence is long or complex, but the result can be unsettling to the reader. Parallelism can relate to just about anything: nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, articles, and prepositions (as in the following example).

Not parallel:      They rode to the market, the post office, and to the library.
Parallel:            They rode to the market, the post office, and the library.
Parallel:            They rode to the market, to the post office, and to the library.

If a sentence contains elements related in purpose or structure, be sure these elements are presented in the same grammatical form.

Not parallel:      I enjoy long walks on the beach, eating gourmet food, and to stargaze on a clear night.
Parallel:            I enjoy taking long walks on the beach, eating gourmet food, and stargazing on a clear night.

Often more a matter of style than grammatical error, achieving parallel structure adds rhythm and elegance to a sentence. Creative writers do have a certain poetic license to forego the rules of parallelism when the result is a more powerful or artistic sentence, but in general, watch out for elements that don’t jibe.

Some more examples:

When I was a teenager, I was a cook at a fast-food restaurant, delivered newspapers, and then I worked as a valet.
BETTER: When I was a teenager, I cooked at a fast-food restaurant, delivered newspapers, and worked as a valet.

We vacation in spring, summer, and in fall.
BETTER: We vacation in spring, summer, and fall.
OR: We vacation in spring, in summer, and in fall.

A time not for words, but action.
BETTER: A time not for words, but for action.

Work is as important as playing.
BETTER: Work is as important as play.
OR: Working is as important as playing.

She is a teacher who is dedicated and, at the same time, finding her students tedious.
BETTER: She is a teacher who is dedicated and, at the same time, finds her students tedious.

The new budget calls for lower salaries, marketing funds, and shorter hours.
BETTER: The new budget calls for lower salaries, lower marketing funds, and shorter hours.

The politician has the charisma, the charm, and has the contacts to run successfully.
BETTER: The politician has the charisma, the charm, and the contacts to run successfully.
OR: The politician has the charisma, has the charm, and has the contacts to run successfully.

Susan is interested but not very good at foreign languages.
BETTER: Susan is interested in but not very good at foreign languages.

At my favorite restaurant, the lunch menu is good but the drinks expensive.
BETTER: At my favorite restaurant, the lunch menu is good but the drinks are expensive.

She traced his face in the photograph slowly and with love.
BETTER: She traced his face in the photograph slowly and lovingly.

If you’ve been writing poetry for any length of time, you’ve probably realized that there simply isn’t much money to be made in poetry. Poems are published primarily in literary journals and magazines that are affiliated with colleges and universities. Because those publications usually have a small subscriber base and work on a restrictive budget, writers are paid very little for their individual poems—if they are paid at all.

Also, because big New York publishing houses do not generally publish contemporary poetry (except for those elite poets who are household names), literary agents generally will not represent poets. Some authors may stand to make a small profit from winning poetry awards or publishing a book of poems, but few can quit their day jobs. 

However, if you’re creative enough to be a poet, you may be creative enough to figure out how to make a little extra income by writing poetry. Although poetry, in its most literary forms, is usually limited to high-end magazines and literary journals, there are some practical ways that writers have been known to turn their poetic urges into dollars.

Write for the greeting card companies. If you love poetry, consider putting your pen to the service of the greeting card industry. Every greeting card you read was written by a real-life human—not some impersonal poetry-generating robot. In fact, some greeting card writers even become relatively well-known, having their bylines written in the cards they pen. You may not be able to make a living by writing greeting cards, but you’ll have a good time indulging your muse—and getting paid for it! To get a foot in the door, approach a greeting card company like you would any creative writing publisher—with research and professionalism. Go to the store, jot down the names of greeting card companies, and look up their submission guidelines. Then follow those guidelines word-for-word. Poets are allowed to be creative in their writing, but in their submissions, professionalism is key.

Teach. If you love language and literature—and you have the added bonus of being a people person—you just might find your calling in teaching. You can teach poetry at the high school or college level and beyond. Or you can teach just for fun on your own. Though you may not make oodles of dollars on your poetry, your poetry publications may earn you some money in the form of a nice, cushy teaching job (some positions will pay you to use your time to write and publish because your publications make the particular school look good). So even if teaching means you can’t spend every waking moment of your eight-hour day writing poems, you can, at the very least, spend your working day immersed in them. Not a bad gig!

Start your own business. Poets have long been forced to be creative and flexible, and because of that some poets can be great business people. Start a company writing personalized poems for people who might not have the same particular talent as you do. Are you naturally gifted at writing poems about mothers on Mother's Day? Or what about writing poems as eulogies? Let out your inner entrepreneur and your muse at the same time!

Go into songwriting. Poetry and music are very close to one another in many ways. For poets who have a particularly musical ear, songwriting might be a good way to earn a little extra cash. Indulge your love of words, meaning, phrasing, metaphor, and depth. How do you start becoming a songwriter? It’s not the easiest journey. It may help to know how to read and write music, as well. But who knows? Write one song that takes off, and you might even go big-time!

Look for appropriate spin-offs of the poetry publishing biz. Would you want to work for a charity that supports the arts? How about a magazine that focuses on poetry? Those jobs are out there—it’s just a matter of being alert, open, and focused on getting them. You may need to build up a killer bio to nail a job related to the poetry business (and Writer’s Relief can help with that). But full-time jobs in the poetry business do exist. You’ll need to network with local poets, keep garnering publication credits, and be vigilant!  

If you’d like to build up your poetry publications, remember to check out Writer’s Relief. We’ve got a great reputation for helping poets of all levels improve their bio so they can go on to get the clout they deserve. For more information, visit www.WritersRelief.com.

This article is a follow-up to a previous post, entitled How To Publish A Short Story Collection: Tips For Getting Agents' And Editors' Attention For Your Short Stories. In it we discussed strategies for tackling the obstacles that can make it difficult to publish a short story collection, and we offered some solutions. Keep reading to learn how to write a strong query letter to pitch your short story collection.   

Research the market carefully and target only agents or publishers who actually work with short story collections. Then, research their submission guidelines and follow them exactly. Include your very best work—a professionally formatted and carefully edited group of stories, especially those that have been published. If you have any positive reviews for published pieces, include those as well.

In your query letter make it clear that you are submitting a collection of short stories, and include their genre (science fiction) or common theme (sports). Use vivid, powerful writing to capture the editor’s attention in the first paragraph and get them excited about your work. You may also describe a few of your most interesting stories in this section. If you have a personal tie-in with the agent or editor, this is the place to mention it.

In the next section, highlight your credentials—education, writers’ residencies, awards, and publication credits—and downplay the negatives. Do not reference past rejections or refer to yourself as an “amateur” or “weekend” writer. Never tell the editor that your stories still need some work, and do not ask for editing advice.

In closing your query letter, be sure to thank the editor or agent for his or her time and offer to send sample stories (if attachments are not welcomed) or the complete collection. Proofread your query carefully, run it by someone you trust, and don’t forget the self-addressed stamped envelope if querying by regular mail.

FORMAT

• One single-spaced page is sufficient. Use one-inch margins all around, and adjust if necessary to keep it to one page.
• Use standard (8½ x 11 in U.S.) letterhead. Avoid overly colorful stationery and hard-to-read fonts.
• Include your current contact information and a word count of the entire collection.
• Address the query to the appropriate agent or editor (with the correct spelling, of course).
• Use formal salutations, and use the editor or agent’s full name.

For more information about how to write a query letter, please begin with How To Write Cover and Query Letters That Get Attention. At Writer's Relief our submission strategists compose professional cover and query letters on behalf of our Full Service and A La Carte PLUS clients. Contact us today (info@relief.com) for more information.   

What is an exclusive (or right of first refusal) from a literary agent? Sometimes, when a writer sends a query off to a literary agency, the agent will request an “exclusive”—that is, the privilege of reading a manuscript before any other literary agent is allowed to see it. An exclusive is a kind of “right of first refusal” for agents.

The word “exclusive” tends to make writers panic. What if I grant an exclusive and another agent wants to read the book? What if I don’t want to grant an exclusive because I’m holding out for some other agent? What if I’ve already given the manuscript to someone else before the request for an exclusive?

In any of these situations, there’s no reason to panic. In fact, you should be THRILLED to have such a great problem. If a reputable agent wants to see your work badly enough to request an exclusive, you’re in a good position. Congrats!

Here are a few “problem” scenarios and some steps you might take to wiggle out of them. Keep in mind that every situation will be unique, so these concepts cannot work as a one-size-fits-all solution to your problem. But they may help.

What if the first literary agent who wants to read my book asks for an exclusive?
If the first agent who requests your book wants a guarantee that you won’t send it to anyone else until he or she is finished, don’t panic. First, evaluate your feelings about the agency. Is it your first choice? If so, you may need to be flexible. You do have the power to decline an agent’s request for an exclusive; however, we recommend that instead of turning an agent down flat, consider granting an exclusive for two weeks only. Another option is to indicate to the agent that she or he is the first to request the complete manuscript, and while you cannot grant an exclusive read, you will keep the agent informed if any other literary agencies request the manuscript. This may be enough to put the agent at ease.

What if a literary agent asks for an exclusive, but there’s already another agent reading the book?
If this happens, thank your lucky stars. It means there’s a lot of interest in your book—and you can use that momentum to keep the enthusiasm going. Politely state that the response to the book has been very positive, and you’re unable to grant an exclusive because another agency is already reading the book. Then be sure to go back and tell the first agent that another agent has put in a request. (Note: This isn’t something you’ll want to do unless you can be tactful. You can take the “I was just checking in and oh by the way” approach, or you can say, “I felt it was only right to let you know that another literary agency has requested to see the complete manuscript.”) When agents think other agents are interested in you, they become more interested in you.

How to approach big-time agents who have a lot of rules and demand exclusives.
If you’re querying a big-time agent and he or she wants an exclusive, you may need to be prepared to give it or lose a potential deal. When you approach the bigger agencies (the ones that don’t accept unsolicited queries, the ones that don’t take unpublished writers, the ones that refuse simultaneous submissions, etc.), the rules of making submissions change. You’ll want to query just one agency at a time. If your top agent wants an exclusive, give it—and then stop sending out queries and be very patient. Why? Because if you continue to query agents after you’ve given your top agent an exclusive read, it's like a tease to tell any others who request your book, “Can you wait until I hear back from someone I like better than you?” You’ll botch that deal faster than you can say New York Times Best Seller.

At Writer's Relief, our submission strategists work closely with our clients to answer any of the questions that arise when writers get serious about their submission strategies. To learn more about how to make our submission services part of your effective publishing strategy, visit our Web site today!

Imagine yourself in a secluded cabin overlooking a peaceful lake. With laptop in, well, lap, you gaze out at the local wildlife as you work, uninterrupted, on your novel. The only other people around occupy the cabins nearby, but they are also quietly pursuing their writing projects. Sounds ideal? This is the beauty of writers’ colonies.

The demands of everyday life often leave little time for the actual craft of writing. Between day jobs, errands, family, and the never-ending submission process, it’s hard to carve out time each day for creativity. This is why many writers seek residencies or writers’ colonies. They offer a place for writers to live in a community of fellow writers and artists for a specific period of time. They offer instructors, discussion groups, and direction for those who want it; best of all, it’s a place where writers can set their own schedule and concentrate on craft. Personal space and free time for creative writing—who wouldn’t jump at the chance?

Here’s how to begin the search for the perfect retreat:

There are hundreds of writers’ retreats and residencies to choose from. Would your muse take flight in a cabin in Alaska or in the southwest desert regions? Perhaps even overseas? Keeping transportation costs in mind, narrow your choices to those areas that appeal to you. Search the Internet for “writers colonies,” “writers retreats,” or “writers residencies,” and you’ll be amazed by the diversity of choices. The Alliance of Artists Communities (www.ArtistCommunities.org) maintains a comprehensive database for a small yearly fee. Also check out www.writing.ShawGuides.com.

Start the application process early, as spaces are highly coveted and limited. Be prepared to go through the application process, which can be lengthy. You’ll provide samples of your work and a mission statement outlining your goals and/or projects. You may be asked to submit details on a specific project, although some colonies are more flexible and writers can work on whatever they choose. You’ll also submit professional references and, of course, an application fee. Some programs offer scholarships as well.

Your work will be judged by a panel of professionals who will choose the most outstanding candidates. There will also be a short list to replace candidates who are unable to take their spots.

Apply for residencies that pertain to your genre or area of interest, and make note of what they’ll require once you’re there. If you work best in total and utter silence, do not choose a residency in which you will be sharing a house with six other people. Some people are stimulated by urban settings, while others flourish in the mountains. Some programs offer more amenities than others, and some can be more like camping trips. Are you prepared to hike your food in to a remote area, or do you require Internet access and close proximity to a Starbucks? Are you looking to network with other writers or simply hoping for total seclusion?

If you want to work with writing gurus and have your writing critiqued, look for programs where this type of interaction is available. You should also be aware of any expectations—will you be expected to lead a group, teach a class, or share your work with others?

To improve your chances of acceptance, apply to as many programs as you can afford. Summer residencies are the most popular, and you might have more luck applying for spring, fall, and winter programs. Include a few high-end residencies in your application process, plus a few that might be easier to get into. It’s a competitive venture, but one well worth investigating…especially when the cat is throwing up on the carpet, the plumbing’s on the fritz, the car won’t start, and the kids want dinner.

The gift of free, uninterrupted time is yours if you want it.

REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT OUR LIST OF WRITING CONTESTS and ANTHOLOGIES! You won’t find a better list anywhere (AND IT’S FREE!) of upcoming anthologies, special-themed journals, and contests. Find it by visiting:
http://www.writersreliefblog.com/post/Anthologies-Contests.aspx